from The Edmond Organization, along with the newest copy of his will with me cut out of it. Congratulations, by the way.” He shifted his gaze from the empty coffee cup to shoot his sister a wry smile. “You’re now the recipient of the majority shares of the company and his estate.”
“Awesome,” she drawled. But no humor lightened her troubled gaze. “A son, Ross. You have a little boy,” she whispered. “How are you handling that?”
He inhaled a breath, then slowly released it, leaning back against the chair. “Gina, Ben is...” He shook his head, his first real smile of the day curving his mouth. “He’s beautiful. And amazing. At two, he’s so smart and funny. I didn’t think I could love someone so quick and so much. But...” He swallowed. “I do. Crazy, I know.”
“No, not crazy.” Gina covered his hand with hers, eyes gleaming. “You just sound like a father. And I’m so happy for you.”
“I am, too,” Asher said, leaning forward in his chair and perching his forearms on his thighs. “And what about Charlotte? How do you feel about her?”
Ross didn’t reply; instead, he stood and crossed the room back to the table and the serving set. Yes, he freely admitted to stalling a reply to his brother’s question. Because while his love for his son was uncomplicated and easy, his feelings toward Charlotte weren’t nearly as cut and dried. Did he love her? No, because in order to love someone, to make a commitment to them, you had to trust them. And as much as his dick hardened for her, he didn’t trust her.
But the need for her, the lust that hadn’t abated just because he’d been inside her again... That muddied what should’ve been a simple co-parenting arrangement. Instead of satisfying his craving for her, that night at The Bellamy had only intensified it. And though he could list a thousand reasons why he should maintain a platonic relationship with Charlotte, he hadn’t heeded them. Neither of them had. They hadn’t discussed the ramifications of continuing a co-parenting-with-benefits arrangement, but each night that he stayed at the house with her and Ben or they came to him at the resort, they gave in to the need.
If he was a better man, he wouldn’t take advantage. If he was a prouder man, he would demand more of himself. But when it came to Charlotte Jarrett, he was neither.
“She’s Ben’s mother,” he finally said, staring at the dark stream of brew as it flowed into his cup. “We’ve come to an arrangement that works for both of us. For the next year, we’re going to give living together a try. After that, we’ll see.”
“Now you know that’s not what he was asking.” Gina snorted. “But that nonanswer was answer enough.” Moments later, she appeared at his elbow, cupping it. “What about Dad? Do you plan on trying to approach him again? In case we haven’t made it clear, Asher and I are on your side. Just tell us what you need from us.”
Ross encircled his sister’s shoulder, giving her a small hug of gratitude. “Thank you for that. Both of you,” he added, glancing over his shoulder at Asher, who rose from his chair. “But I don’t want you to get involved. This is between me and Dad. I don’t want you to be casualties in the fallout.”
“How are you doing moneywise?” Asher interjected when Gina frowned and parted her lips, prepared to object to Ross’s request. He joined them at the table and shot their sister a look, gently shaking his head. “Can we help you there?”
“No, I’m good,” Ross said, grateful for his brother’s intervention. He meant it; he didn’t want his brother and sister’s lives affected by his decisions. Rusty could be vindictive, and though Asher was older than Ross, he had to protect him and Gina from their father’s possible retaliation. “I have investments in several companies, stock and connections that aren’t tangled up in The Edmond Organization. And I still have Soiree on the Bay. The contracts have been signed. Dad can’t kick me out of that like he did from the company.”
If anything, being fired had forced Ross to rely only on himself. Thank God, he’d diversified his own funds years ago, not living completely off the family business. He wasn’t a pauper by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, according to his financial portfolio, he was still a millionaire in his own right. But... Unease coiled inside his chest.